The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-02-05
Tie COVENANT.

(7-1S.) COP said to Abraham in the vision:
81 am JEHOVAH that brought thee out of Or
of the Chaldees to give thee this land for
heritage" Abraham firmly believed in this
promise, and expressed desire that it might
be confirmed, or ratified by some ceremony
or symbol, whereby he might know that he
should possess it." His request was granted,
and he was directed to make preparation for
the usual ceremony of confirming or sealing
treaty. The ceremony consisted in slaugh-
tering animals-in this case the animals and
birds designated are those which we're after
wards used in sacrifce-and dividing them
into two parts, which were placed short
distance from each other, between which the
contracting parties met in passing, and pro-
nounced the customary oath, which was in
effect: "As to them so to me,-may my body
be severed in twain if do not keep this my
solemn obligation" 1t is said that "the
birds of prey came down upon the carcases,"
which Abraham had arranged for the solemn
ceremony, to devour them; but that he drove
them away. Some have interpreted the in
cident in the vision as symbol of the power
of the Abrahamic faith to resist the attempts
of the enemies of Israel to destroy them.
When the sun was going down, Abraham fell
into a deep sleep, and was surrounded by
thick darkness that terrified him. COP is
frequently represented in the Scriptures as
| dwelling in darkness. Out of this darkness
came a voice which said: "Know that your
posterity shall sojourn in a strange land
there they shall be enslaved and oppressed.
| For three generations they shall remain
among the strangers, because the measures
of the sins of the Amorites, who are to be
punished by your posterity, will not be full
till then. But though leave them there to
sigh SO long, will not forget my promise.
And the people that Cypress them shall fall
under my avenging Justice; the fourth gen.
Grafton shall rescue itself from the yoke of
slavery, and shall return to this land, its her
itage, laden with booty. AS for you, o
Abram, in a blessed old age you shall go to
your fathers in peace and be buried" By
this revelation Abraham had the future history
of his posterity declared to him in general out
line, and was informed why neither he nor
his descendants could obtain immediate pos
session of the promised land; because the
Oanaanites-the Amorites were one of the
principal tribes inhabiting Canaan-were not
yet ripe for the sentence of determination.
The Judgment of GoD in the overthrow of
nations is always apparently delayed. Sin is
allowed work its own destruction with ma
tions as we'll as individuals. Fullness of in
iquity, persistence of evil, willing continu-
ance in sin and corruption, brings on the
crisis of Divine retribution, though a retri-
button may be recognized in the processes
that eliminate in the destructive crisis. The
soiourn of tire children of Israel in Egypt is
without doubt referred to. 1t should not be
overlooked that Moses wrote these accounts
long after the events they describe had be-
come history, and that the facts of history
may have determined the form of many of
his descriptions of antecedent events, as well
as his interpretations of Divine providence
and guidance. Besides the voice which Abra-
ham in his deep sleep heard out of the thick
darkness, he beheld also a brilliant fame
issuing from smoking stove, la fire pot of
burning Goals used anciently for heating
roomsl pass between the parts of the ami